This blog features observations from Randy Turner, a former teacher, newspaper reporter and editor. Send news items or comments to rturner229@hotmail.com

Sunday, November 08, 2015

Announcement about the future of the Turner Report/Inside Joplin

One year ago, I unveiled a new subscription model for the Turner Report/Inside Joplin with no idea of whether it would work or not, but with a sincere belief that there are people in Joplin and the surrounding area who would be interested in paying for the alternative news source that I have provided.

Prior to November 2014, I had offered three-month subscriptions and had a few subscribers. People kept telling me I would do better to offer a one-year option, so I gave it a try.

Those people were right. People began subscribing, most of them for the $30 annual fee, though some subscribed for $3 per month. I have yet to have anyone take the third option- $1 per week.

Some have paid for their subsriptions through the PayPal button, either using PayPal or their credit cards. Some have mailed checks to my home address.

For many who mailed their checks, it is time to decide if you wish to renew your subscription. I will not be sending out bills.

The decision on whether or not to subscribe comes down to a handful of questions.

1. Are the Turner Report/Inside Joplin blogs (including Inside Joplin Obituaries and Turner Resports) providing you with a valuable service?

2. How often do you read things on these blogs that never make the pages of the Joplin Globe?

3. Is it important for this area to have an alternative news source?

If the answers to 1 and 3 are yes, and if you are seeing information on these blogs that you do not see from any other news source, you might consider taking a subscription or making a contribution.

One thing I have promised each time I have mentioned subscriptions or contributions is that I will continue to expand and improve coverage.

I have lived up to that promise to the best of my abilities. Inside Joplin Obituaries has expanded to include any obituaries I can find or which are to sent to me on people connected to Jasper, Newton, Barton, and McDonald counties, with more than 2,500 printed at this point. Inside Joplin continues to provide coverage of upcoming meetings, accidents, news from Missouri Southern, Crowder, and area school districts (which I am still working on expanding), as well as coverage of local crime and courts news.

The Turner Report has continued to provide commentary and investigative reports on the City of Joplin, Joplin R-8, state government, education, and other topics.

As much as I find it distasteful to do so, every so often I need to appeal for funds to both continue and to build upon these services. The Turner Report averages 6,000 unique visitors per day, while Inside Joplin and Inside Joplin Obituaries average 1,500 to 2,000 per day. Of course, those numbers increase when there are major stories.

Just a small percentage of those readers have taken subscriptions or have made contributions.

If you believe there is a need for Turner Report/Inside Joplin and that these blogs provide an important service, you can help in any of the following ways:

1. Take a subscription- The cost is $30 for a year, $3 if you pay monthly, and $1 if you pay weekly. you can pay for the subscription by using the PayPal button at the bottom of this post or or the one on the side of the page. Those who prefer not to use PayPal or credit cards can mail their checks to me at 2306 E. 8th, Apt. G, Joplin MO 64801.

2. Make a contribution- If you would prefer to make a one-time contribution of any amount, whether it be $1 or $1,000, you can do so through the "Donate" button at the bottom of this post.

3. Purchase books- Something new I am going to try is to use the "Donate" button to sell some of the books I have written. If there is anyone who wants to buy a copy for himself or herself, buy one as a gift for a friend, just donate the following amount for each book and leave a message telling me which book or books you are ordering. Copies will be signed. Your donation will cover shipping and tax.

Silver Lining in a Funnel Cloud $20
No Child Left Alive $15
Let Teachers Teach $15
5:41: Stories from the Joplin Tornado $20
Spirit of Hope: The Year After the Joplin Tornado $20
The Turner Report $10
Newspaper Days $10
Small Town News $10

Anyone who orders Silver Lining in a Funnel Cloud can also order one of the other books at $5 off the prices listed above. Make sure to mention the book or books you are ordering in your message.

Thank you for your support in the past, present, and hopefully, in the future. It means a lot to me and I do not just mean financially.
***

2 comments:

Anonymous
said...

If your site has the amount of traffic you say it does then why don't you see ads on your site? You could get more for ads if your site has lots of traffic. The current remnant ads you are running can't pay much.

If you read Randy's daily posts, and benefit from his insightful investigative reporting of the truth, then please consider donating. No one gets the daily Glob for free. This is no different. Randy works hard to root out the truth and report to us. I am glad to pay him $30 every October. It is money well spent, in my opinion. He has to make a living, too. He posts long obituaries that the Glob charges big bucks for. Unlike the Glob, Randy believes it is wrong to benefit monetarily from the loss of people's loved ones. He provides a service to our community, and for those who read his posts, you owe it to him to pay him, at least a little something for the service. If everyone who reads his posts would pay even $5 each, it would help him to continue his efforts, instead of giving up and getting a job. Support him. It's the right thing to do. Keep up the good work, Randy.

About Me

I am a former teacher in the Joplin and Diamond, Missouri, school districts. Before entering the teaching field, I spent 22 years as a reporter and editor for various Southwest Missouri newspapers. I have published three novels, Small Town News, Devil's Messenger, and No Child Left Alive, and seven non-fiction books, The Turner Report, Newspaper Days, Silver Lining in a Funnel Cloud, Greed, Corruption, and the Joplin Tornado, 5:41: Stories from the Joplin Tornado, Spirit of Hope: The Year After the Joplin Tornado, Scars from the Tornado and Let Teachers Teach.

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